


Big Bully, Small Puppy

by UnicronLoev



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Bullying, F/F, Female Friendship, Fights, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:01:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29468397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnicronLoev/pseuds/UnicronLoev
Summary: Korra sees two boys harassing a stray puppy and intervenes. But she's not the only one who wants to help.
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato
Comments: 10
Kudos: 116





	Big Bully, Small Puppy

The big hill was up ahead. It was the steepest one she had seen so far in Republic City. Korra tightened a determined grip on the handlebars of her bicycle. Her family had moved here in the middle of the school year and the adjustment hadn't been easy. Either 5th grade was tougher here than it was back home, or these city kids were just not interested in making new friends. She shook off the thought. This hill had given her trouble the first few times she had tried to scale it on her bike - each time defeated by the severe incline. But she was going to conquer this hill today. She could do it.

Her legs weren't as long as she would like them to be. Being shorter than most kids her age hadn't changed like she'd hoped it would when they moved here. Even so, she was stronger than them. That was what really mattered. Her sturdy legs pumped as she pedaled higher and higher up the hill. Unfortunately, with the each inch she covered, the slower she advanced. Korra was panting and she could feel her palms sweating against the handlebars. That wasn't good. The grip she held was just as important as the strength in her legs. There was no way she was letting go. This was already the highest she had ever made it up the hill. Just a little more.

"Come on!" she chided breathlessly.

Korra raised herself off the seat of the bike to give herself the leverage she needed to continue her climb. It worked. She could feel the strain in her legs redistribute and it made her smile. A few more rotations in her tenacious pedaling finally brought her to the top of the hill.

She dropped her feet to the ground to hold still. Her firsts raised in triumph and she was grinning like mad. "Yes!" Korra shouted at the top of her lungs over the sprawling city below, and even hooted once or twice for good measure. Then she wiped her sweaty palms against her light blue shirt. Now came the fun part. Her hands returned to the handlebars. Pedaling was no longer necessary. One of her feet pushed off so she could begin her descent down the other side of the hill. She gathered speed in no time and made sure to keep her head low. The wind whipped against her face and the chunks of gathered hair her mom had tied out of her face earlier that morning.

Korra had never gone this fast on her bicycle before. She felt like she was soaring through the air. "Woohoo!" she yelped with exuberance. She didn't slow down until the ground beneath began leveling out and the busy streets surrounded her once again. Satomobiles were almost everywhere. She needed to find the outdoor market her mom favored for their fresh vegetables. That was the only reason her dad had agreed to let her travel so far away from the house. Her mom trusted her more. Her dad…knew her habits too well.

It wasn't like Korra actively looked for trouble. But things happened. And she couldn't just stand around and _let_ bad things happen if there was a chance she could help.

A high-pitched animal yelp forced her to stop pedaling. There was an alley further up the road across the street. Two boys were laughing and taking turns throwing pebbles at something. She heard an animal cry again and immediately ditched her bike. "Hey!" she shouted.

Only one car was driving down the street, and Korra sprinted in front of it anyway to make her way across. The driver blared his horn and shouted after driving past. "Stay outta the street, kid!"

She ignored him and didn't stop running until she reached the boys. They had heard the commotion she had caused, and both were already turning to face her. When she was close enough she saw what they had been throwing debris at. A puppy with a fine white coat was tied with a worn brown rope to a corroded metal fence. Her fists instinctively tightened at her sides.

"Leave it alone," she glared.

They looked to be at least her age, if not older. The shorter boy was chubby, and he wiped his runny rose. "Why? It's just a stray. It doesn't belong to anyone."

"That doesn't mean you can treat it however you want. Why don't you run home? You look like you could use the exercise."

The taller boy slapped him in the shoulder with a disbelieving laugh. "Are you going to let this little girl get away with that, Ren?"

Korra turned her icy blue glare to the older looking boy. " _Let_ me? I could take both of you rats on right now."

Ren stepped closer, "Get outta here," then he shoved her with both hands. "And mind your own business."

Her body was already moving before her brain could catch up.

Seconds later, Ren was pinned to the ground on his stomach with his arms stretched backward in Korra's angry grip. He stopped fighting back almost immediately when he realized that the more he struggled, the more painful her pull on his awkwardly positioned arms became.

He was crying. "Tahno! Do something!"

Korra barely had time to turn her head before the older boy was practically on top of her. He tackled her off of Ren. The sudden impact momentarily forced all of the oxygen from her lungs. They grappled on the floor, each taking turns to slam the other to the ground before the other found a way to gain the upper hand. It was scrappy and rough. This was definitely the most formidable opponent Korra had ever found herself matched against. But she gave as good as she got. She twisted, punched, and kicked at every opportunity, like her father had taught her. Fights usually didn't last this long and she was tiring quickly.

In the distance, she heard the sound of car breaking, followed by a slamming door. "Stop!" The voice sounded like it belonged to a young girl.

Tahno was on top of her now. That smirk of his made her boil all over again. She mustered up the remainder of her strength, and managed to bring her knee up to nail him squarely in the stomach. He groaned loudly and lost his grip on her. Instead, she strengthened hers, and kicked him clean off of her until he was on the ground beside Ren.

Korra heard running footsteps behind her, but she wasn't taking her eyes off the opponent. Ren, was wiping his nose again. Only this time it was from crying. He tried helping Tahno off the floor, but the other boy slapped his hand away to stand on his own. Korra was trying to gather her breath in case they both decided to come at her again.

Tahno had a hand draped over his stomach, trying not to wince. He straightened a little when he looked past her. "We're leaving. I'm not about to fight two girls over a stupid dog."

Korra was relieved. She didn't think she had enough in her for another fight. Even so, she heard herself mock to his retreating back, "You mean you don't want to _lose_ another fight?"

"I'll be seeing you, little girl," was the last thing he said before he disappeared around a street corner with Ren.

"Are you okay?"

* * *

Asami Sato loved to learn, but homework had never been a challenge for her. Her father knew that watching him build and create at Future Industries was her favorite world to explore. So she'd breezed through her homework after school before alerting the family chauffeur, Hoka, that she was ready to join her father at the factory. Sometimes she couldn't wait to grow up. No longer would she have to rely on Hoka or any adult to drive her anywhere. She was anxious to get behind the wheel of anything. Sadly, she was still only 12-years-old, and her limited age didn't allow her much (if any) freedom.

They were still a few minutes away from their destination when they began to pass numerous shops and family businesses that sold everything from medicine, clothing, livestock and jewelry. She pressed herself closer to the window. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Two boys were bullying a smaller girl.

The car drove right past until they were out of sight.

"Turn around," Asami said.

Hoka glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "Miss Sato, we're almost-"

"Please," Asami pleaded. "Go back."

He did as ordered, and when they were closer, she stopped him. "Park here."

Hoka hadn't even completely stopped the car before she was already climbing out of it. "Miss Sato," he objected. "Where are you going?"

"I'll be right back," she promised. "Just stay here."

One of the boys was on the ground crying, which made her pause. The girl and the other boy were nearby, in the midst of a harsh fight. This would not end well for the girl (who was clearly at a size disadvantage) if Asami didn't find some way to intervene. She ran closer. "Stop!" she shouted.

The older boy was on top, and it appeared as if the fight was finally over. Asami was wrong. The girl kicked him hard in the torso and threw him off of her in the process with impressive force. Her green eyes widened. Maybe this girl didn't need any help at all. The boy she had thrown looked past her and his eyes landed on Asami. Then he said, "We're leaving. I'm not about to fight two girls over a stupid dog."

Asami had no intention of fighting. She just wanted to stop this unfair fight. But if pressed, she would have stepped in to help the other girl.

The brown haired warrior was still in a fighting stance, clearly trying to gather her breath. "You mean you don't want to _lose_ another fight?" She taunted back.

This small package was full of surprises, wasn't she?

"I'll be seeing you, little girl," he said. Obviously he was the type who needed to have the last word in any exchange. The two boys finally retreated.

Asami approached cautiously. "Are you okay?"

The shorter girl turned and nodded. "Yeah." Her face was flushed from the exertion of the fight. Her hair was messy. Scrapes and cuts were scattered all over her arms. Even her right cheekbone was bleeding a little.

"Wait here." Asami ran back to the still running car while Hoka obediently sat in the driver's seat. She pulled open her door and spoke quickly. "Please give me a few more minutes." She reached over to a storage compartment and pulled out the first-aid kit that was installed in every Satomobile. She closed the door and ran back.

The girl was kneeling in front of a rusty metal fence. A white, frantic looking puppy was tied to it.

"What are you doing?"

The girl gestured with a hand behind her. "Shh. I don't want to scare it," she whispered. Then she knelt down slowly and reached into a brown leather pouch that was tied around her waist. Her tanned hand came away with a piece of dried meat. The puppy sniffed the offered treat, and tentatively came closer. It snatched the food away and retreated against the fence.

"It's good, huh?" The girl spoke gently. "My mom made it." She crossed her legs to sit in front of the puppy, but not too close to scare it. Another piece of meat was pulled from her pouch, and the puppy gave little hesitation this time before taking and eating it.

Asami came closer. "Do you mind?"

The girl pat the ground beside her. "Have a seat. Maybe we should let it get used to us before I try to untie it."

Asami smoothed her skirt behind her before bending her legs beneath her to sit. "This isn't your dog?"

"No." The girl continued to watch the puppy. "I was riding my bike when I saw those two bullies throwing things at it." Her jaw clenched and Asami could feel her anger.

She cleared her throat, hoping to distract her. "May I?" She placed the first-aid kit between them.

The other girl looked surprised and her blue eyes widened. "Where did that come from?"

Asami blindly gestured behind her. "Family car. We like to be prepared." She opened the kit and retrieved the antiseptic wipes and some bandages. "My name is Asami."

The girl smiled warmly. "Korra."

After seeing her so brash and hotheaded, Asami was almost taken aback by this completely different side of the same person. She worked in silence, and Korra occasionally hissed, but she was a brave patient for the most part. After patching her up, Asami gave her another quick once over, making sure she hadn't missed any wounds. Asami was thorough in all endeavors - which seemed to include playing doctor for strangers who got into street fights over abandoned dogs.

Asami returned unused items to the first-aid kit before resealing it. "I think you're good to go. Are you in any pain?"

Korra rubbed the small bandage over her cheekbone. "Not really. The ground did more damage than either one of those yahoos. But my mom is going to be mad when I get home." She sighed, but then she pointed to the kit. "Where did you learn how to use all of that stuff?"

"School," Asami lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "Extra credit for a health class. What grade are you in?"

"5th. You?"

"6th."

"What school do you go to?"

Asami named her private school; the only one in Republic City. Her answer made Korra frown in apparent disappointment for some reason.

They were quiet for a moment until Korra dug through her brown pouch. "I only have one more piece of meat left." Then she took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."

She approached the puppy slowly, and carefully untied the rope from around its neck. Then she crawled backward and pulled the small piece of meat from her pouch. She waved it in front of the puppy before placing it in front of her resting knees. The puppy didn't seem to realize it was now free to roam.

Korra lightly tapped the ground in front of her. "Come on. Get the treat," she encouraged.

It took a moment, but the puppy gradually made its way over. When it was closer it sniffed the treat before gobbling it up. Then Korra opened her palm, but made no move. The puppy took a suspicious sniff of her palm, and came closer, practically burying its snout in her hand as it sniffed and sniffed.

Korra laughed and finally turned her hand over to pet the puppy lovingly. "Hi, I'm Korra."

Asami had never seen such a bright smile before. It was infectious and she found herself smiling at the exchange.

* * *

When the puppy seemed comfortable enough, Korra hastily excused herself. "Can you watch her for me?" she asked. "I'll be right back."

"Is everything all right?" Asami asked.

"Yeah."

They were in the middle of a shopping district that sold practically anything you could think of. She still needed to buy the vegetables her mom needed to prepare their dinner for tonight. Korra would get to that, but this was important. Asami had been one of the nicest girls she had met here in Republic City. Maybe one of the nicest girls period. She had to find a way to thank her properly. But she only had enough money for the groceries, and she wasn't about to steal something just to show the other girl her gratitude.

A florist caught her eye. Discarded flowers lined the front of the shop floor. Most of them were flattened by heavy foot traffic. But Korra spotted a fallen rose that looked like it still had some life in it. She picked it up for a closer inspection. Her knowledge of flowers was minimal, but this one was a keeper. After tucking it into her back pocket she asked the woman at the register if she could borrow a pen.

Korra pulled the grocery list her mom had handwritten from her pocket. Her blue eyes went up and down more than once, committing the items to memory. Then she flipped over the paper and wrote in large, blocky letters: _Thank You_. She hesitated before drawing a heart beneath. Somehow she found a way to wrap the edge of the paper around the long stem of the rose. After thanking the cashier and returning the pen, Korra ran back to Asami and (hopefully) her new puppy.

She found Asami kneeling on the ground, laughing lightly. The puppy was licking her wrist and her tail was wagging.

Korra nervously scratched the back of her neck. Would this older girl even be interested in being friends with her? Maybe she was only friends with other rich kids. She was very pretty and, more importantly, nice. Korra assumed she was popular at her private school. Maybe she already had plenty of friends. She wouldn't want to be friends with a "troublemaker" who couldn't seem to stay out of fights. 

She could already feel the embarrassing heat on her face when she approached. "Um," she began lamely. "Here." She extended her arm with the makeshift present.

Asami smoothed down the back of her dark skirt as she rose to her full height. Korra was momentarily annoyed. Why did she have to be shorter than everyone? Her annoyance was immediately replaced with elation. The other girl was smiling shyly.

"Is that for me?"

Korra nodded.

Asami demurely accepted the gift. She tucked her dark hair behind an ear and bit her bottom lip.

"I'm sure you're busy," Korra said, "but I didn't want you to leave without saying thank you."

"Do you need a ride somewhere?" Asami offered earnestly.

She pointed across the street where her bicycle had been hastily abandoned. "No, I rode my bike here."

Asami waited a beat before asking, "Which school do you attend?" Korra told her and Asami smiled. "Ask your mom if you can come to my house after school on Monday."

Korra was hopeful. Could she finally be making her first friend in Republic City? "Really?"

"I'll have to run it by my father, but I'm sure he won't mind." She started walking away. "Bye Korra." Then she bent down to run a hand over the puppy. "Bye cutie."

Even after she was gone, she watched the now empty street in awe. "Wow," was all she could say. The puppy was looking at her expectantly. Korra spoke as if she could understand her. "You and I are going to have a lot of explaining to do when we get home."

**Author's Note:**

> Based on fan art by @berrylaberrosa on Tumblr.


End file.
